Omnibus & Price-Reduction Rules in Estonia
Omnibus DirectiveIf you sell to customers in Estonia, the EU Omnibus Directive governs how you may advertise a price reduction. The Directive — Directive (EU) 2019/2161 — has applied across the European Union since 28 May 2022. Because it is a Directive, each Member State transposes it into its own law, so in Estonia the rules live in national consumer-protection legislation. The substance is the same everywhere: a discount claim must be honest about the price it is measured against. This guide explains what that means for an ordinary shop selling into Estonia.
The 30-day lowest-prior-price rule
The heart of the Omnibus reforms is the rule on announced price reductions. When you say a product’s price has been cut, you must state the prior price — defined as the lowest price you applied for that item during the 30 days before the reduction. The aim is to stop a price being quietly raised for a short period so that a later “discount” looks bigger than it really is.
- A “25% off” claim must be measured against the lowest price of the previous 30 days, not a briefly raised figure.
- The reference price should be visible, so customers can see what the reduction is really based on.
- The rule targets announced reductions, not ordinary price positioning such as an everyday low price.
More than just discounts
The Omnibus Directive also brought in transparency duties that reach many online shops.
- Consumer reviews: if you show reviews, you must say whether and how you check they come from real buyers.
- Search ranking: if you rank or sort products, you must disclose the main parameters behind the order, and flag paid placement.
- Marketplace transparency: if you run a marketplace, you must tell buyers whether a seller is a trader or a private individual.
The Estonian layer
Since the Directive is transposed nationally, the version binding you in Estonia is the national implementing law, supervised by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority — known locally as the TTJA. In practice the core obligations mirror the EU text, so a shop that follows the 30-day rule and the transparency duties is on solid ground. What differs is the local flavour: enforcement is conducted in Estonian, and consumer-facing information — including how a prior price is presented — is expected to reach Estonian buyers in Estonian.
Our Estonia country hub covers more on selling into this market, and the complete Omnibus guide sets out the reforms in full.
What Estonian-facing shops can do now
Getting the price rule right does not need a legal department. A short, practical review usually covers it.
- Keep a price history so you can show the lowest price of the previous 30 days for any item on sale.
- Display the correct prior price beside each reduced price, in Estonian for your Estonian customers.
- Check that your review, ranking and — where relevant — marketplace disclosures are in place.
- Treat the TTJA as your point of reference for how the rules are supervised in Estonia.
National enforcement practice can develop over time, so revisit the detail as guidance from the Estonian authority settles. This guide is educational, not legal advice.